Chapter Two

Catalina yawned as she woke the next morning. He body ached in various regions but she wrapped herself in her favorite robe and moved out into the kitchen. Saturday had finally come and she was determined to make this the best birthday her brother had ever had. Cat pulled out the boxed cake mix and set to work. She would call Gordon in an hour or so and let him know she wasn't coming in. Cat was halfway done when her brother entered the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.

"Buenos dias!" He chimed. Cat smiled over her shoulder at him.

"Feliz cumpleanos!" Cat greeted, hugging him tightly. "My little man is now a big sixteen-year-old man!" She joked, lightly ruffling his hair. Carlos pulled a face.

"That's embarrassing." He whined, slouching in his chair. Cat moved back over to the counter and resumed mixing the batter. "So what do I get for breakfast this morning?" He asked, keen eyes glued to the bowl she was mixing. Cat looked over her shoulder, frowning at him.

"I don't even think so, little man." She stated sternly, shaking her head. "You'll be havin' eggs, bacon and toast." She looked back at the bowl and her brother sighed heavily. "Don't like it? You won't be eatin' anythin' this mornin' then." She shrugged matter-of-factly.

"Alright, alright, that sounds good." Cat smiled to herself as he readily agreed.

"That's what I thought you said." She replied, pulling the eggs and bacon out of the fridge. Her brother stood to help her start breakfast.

"Don't you have to work today?" He asked suddenly. Cat looked over and frowned. Her brother was staring down into the pan absently. Cat looked back at her bowl and poured the batter into the cake pan which was quickly placed in the oven.

"I'm callin' off today, I've missed way too many of your birthdays!" She said as he stared at her in complete shock.

"Really!" He asked, not totally believing her. Cat nodded and Carlos threw his arms around her happily. "Can I call some friends then and have them come over for cake?" Cat thought for a moment and then nodded slowly.

"Only a few, though. It isn't goin' to be a very big cake." She watched him take off toward his room. Cat smiled and flipped his eggs. "Let me have the phone first, I still have to call in to Gordon!" She called back the hall, toward his room.

"Okay!" Was shouted back out at her. "Is breakfast ready yet?" He called once again. She laughed softly and took it back to his room. He hugged her and then took his food to his desk. She watched him for a moment and then moved back out the hall into their little living room, picking up the phone and dialing Jim's direct line. He answered the phone right away.

"Commissioner Jim Gordon."

"Jim, it's Cat."

"Where the hell are you?"

"What are you talkin' about, I'm not even late. Besides, that's kind of what I'm callin' you about."

"What? You're not coming in today? I can't believe it!" Jim sighed.

"Oh, come on, Jim, you know what today is and I can't keep doin' this to him. He needs me, Jim. I've been at work practically every day this year, even when you called me in on Christmas. I don't think this one day is goin' to make or break anythin'." She responded calmly. Jim sighed his assent.

"Okay Cat, take the day off and spend some time with your brother. Wish him a Happy Birthday from me!"

"I will. Thanks so much, Jim." She said softly and hung up the phone.


Bruce lay in bed the next day till close to two o'clock. Alfred walked into the room and placed a tray of food on the bedside table then opened the curtains. Bruce growled something from his bed that was muffled by the sheets and pillows.

"Master Wayne, how many times have I told you that when you curse me out, you are to do it to my face and not into the pillow." Alfred looked down at the man lying in bed. Bruce maneuvered himself to squint at the older man then sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Why couldn't you have given me three more hours?" He asked groggily as he took the OJ from the tray and drank it down quickly before going into his morning routine of pushups.

"Because as I say all the time, even for a billionaire playboy like yourself, two and three o'clock in the afternoon is pushing it." Alfred sighed, noticing the new bruises on the younger man's body. "I really wish you would have picked up polo instead of this." He groaned, standing from his seat and moving to leave the room.

"Alfred?" Bruce called, looking after him as he sat up. Alfred stopped at the door and looked down at the young man with a questioning eye. "I know I don't say this nearly as enough as I should, but... thank you, for everything you've done for my family." He murmured. Alfred smiled and nodded slowly.

"It's a pleasure, Master Wayne." Alfred stepped out of the room and returned to his duties.

Bruce stood and gazed out the window in deep thought. He had not trained anyone before and here he was going to provide training to this woman he knew nothing about. Bruce sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Where would he even start?


That evening after Cat sent all the kids away, she started taking down the decorations and balloons and then washed the cake pan. She smiled to herself thoughtfully as she reflected on the day. Her brother's party had gone so well. Their uncle had come in from uptown and spent the day with them. She enjoyed having family and friends around. All of her brother's friends had been so well mannered and so well behaved; this made her feel proud of the way she had raised him. Her uncle had gotten Carlos a newer laptop and printer. Cat had tried to talk the older man out of it, but he merely insisted. Cat had given him a few gift cards to clothing stores, because she couldn't buy his clothes for him anymore. All of Carlos's friends brought him cards with money in it. Catalina looked over her shoulder to see that her uncle had come into the room.

"Catalina." He kissed her cheek then took a seat at the table. "Why don't you let me get you a nice apartment near your aunt and me?" He asked. She smiled to herself and shook her head. He did this all the time. He worked for a prestigious company as some kind of assistant CEO. Cat knew he could afford it.

"No, that's ridiculous." She said, looking over at him. "I know Carlos and I don't have it very well-off but we're happy. We have each other, Uncle Benny, and that's all we really need." She told him as she finished the dishes and put them in the rack to dry. Her uncle shook his head and frowned.

"Catalina," he mused once again. His accent was thick, and fell heavily from his tongue in a slow lull. "You are so stubborn." He told her, pointing a finger at her. "Just like your mother, eh!" He grinned, moving his hands in an exaggerated motion. "Now that was a proud woman." Catalina smiled and hugged her uncle.

"I'm going to head to the gym downstairs. Will you stay with Carlos till I get back?" She inquired, moving into the doorway of the kitchen. He sighed and smiled, amused.

"Si." He looked at her seriously and frowned, "usted trabaja duro para, Catalina." Cat rolled her eyes and went to kiss the seated man's forehead lightly.

"Y usted se preocupe demasiado." She teased and walked into the living room, sitting by her brother on the couch. "Did you have a good birthday?" She questioned, slinging an arm across his shoulders. He smiled and nodded.

"You're late for your work out." He told her with a smirk.

"You keeping track for me?" She joked. Carlos chuckled whole-heartedly.

"Someone's gotta watch your figure!" He teased. Cat laughed and hit him playfully.

"That wasn't nice..." she growled, pushing him lightly as she stood up. He smiled and shrugged.

"What can I say, I learn from the best."

"Right. No, I think you got your snarky mouth all on your own, mister!"

"Cat, go do your work out."

"Fine, I will." She laughed, grabbing her gym bag and moving out the door.


Bruce lifted his head from the analysis he was doing on the videos the Joker had sent out to glance at the clock, raising an eyebrow. It was almost a quarter till eight. He hadn't realized so much time had gone by. He stood and stretched out his lean muscles. Bruce glanced over at Alfred before he began to change into the Bat suit. He couldn't wait till the Manor was finished so he could have his house back. The penthouse was nice but it wasn't his home.

"Don't wait up." Bruce called from behind the mask as he slipped into the Tumbler.

"Do be careful with the car, sir!" Alfred shouted over the roaring of the Batmobile's loud engine. Alfred sighed, turning to head back up to the main floor of the warehouse to return to the penthouse. "God knows we've gone through more car parts than an auto repair shop." He grumbled.

Bruce parked and locked the vehicle in an alley beside Catalina's apartment building. He looked the building over and found a good way into the basement. He was surprised at the building's equipment center. They had a track and weights; they had punching bags and balance beams. Bruce nodded his approval and then caught a glimpse of movement down around the track area. She had already started her routine by jogging. He sat back on his heels on the windowsill and watched in interest.

The woman moved in a graceful rhythm just like Batman's own fluid movements. She was dressed in shorts and a sports bra, and a sturdy pair of work out shoes. Her toned muscles moved in complete harmony with one another, and she seemed to be in good condition. He jumped down from the small window ledge and finally caught her attention. She stopped running, pulling out her headphones and turning off the small mp3 player. Her breathing was a little labored and her hands rested on her hips as she confronted him.

"I didn't think you were gonna show at first." She breathed heavily. Batman looked her over and nodded.

"I'm here now." He stated in his low voice. Cat frowned at him and looked him over.

"So what now?"

"I want to know the training you've had in the past." He retorted a bit harshly. She shrugged.

"I took some karate, and knife and sword fighting classes." She explained, her hands plastered to her hips. Batman nodded thoughtfully.

"I want to see how you do with getting out of complex holds." He replied, his low, soft voice returning. She nodded and watched him move to the center mat, taking off the long cape and setting it aside. Cat sighed and moved toward the mat hurriedly. She stood before him, watching him carefully. Batman circled her slowly. Cat moved with him, never giving him her back and always keeping her eyes on him. He lunged at her quickly, spinning her around and putting her in a very simple head lock he had seen criminals use all the time. He groaned as her head came back to connect with his nose.

Cat kept hold of one arm as he loosened his grip instinctively and quickly had him pinned to the mat, both arms behind his back and his face plastered against the plastic. Cat glared at him, pushing him deeper into the elastic surface as she stood. "Would you please not insult me with those silly holds." She snapped. Batman stood, rubbing his nose lightly.

"Alright." He countered, pinning her to the mat in one of his best submission holds. She groaned as her arm twisted suddenly and she was face down with one of his arms around her neck, holding her head away from the ground. "Get out of this one." She groaned as she struggled to move her other arm. He had her back straddled with her arm pinned against her side. She frowned in thought for a moment before grabbing hold of his forearm with her twisted arm and turned quickly beneath him, flipping their positions. She pulled his one leg up, wrapping the opposite arm around it backwards and grinning down at him.

Batman rolled his eyes and caught her between his legs using them to push her to the floor, making her release his arms. He propped himself up and sighed. "We'll work on that again tomorrow." He said, standing and brushing himself off. She groaned and sat up.

"That's it?" Catalina asked. Batman looked down at her.

"I think you'll be surprised at how sore you will be in the morning just from that. Go take a hot shower and get a good amount of rest." He told her, picking up his cape and moving to the window. "We'll work a lot more over the next few days." He explained before jumping back out the same window he came in.

Cat watched him leave and then stood slowly, her muscles already beginning to protest. She made her way up to the apartment, said good night to her uncle, and then took a shower and went to bed. When her head hit the pillow, she fell right to sleep.


A/N: Spanish translation

1.) Feliz cumpleanos- Happy birthday.

2.) Usted trabaja duro para Catalina- You work too hard Catalina.

3.) Y usted se preocupe demasiado- and you worry too much.

Thanks again to my beta who is wonderful!!! HE HEEE please R&R i would love you much...